Obsidian
by Tigyr
Summary: Continues from where Samson left off.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: For those who have read my Samson story, this chapter starts out just before that story begins. The remaining chapters for the most part, will continue from where that story left off. Thanks for reading and let the reviews begin. _

Obsidian--Chapter One

The kitten raises his head and tries to open his blind eyes. He knows that his parents are there, he can feel his father's raspy tongue as it glides over his fur. His mother's body is warm next to his and he can taste her milk on his tiny tongue. The kitten knows that he has at least one sibling, maybe more; he can feel a heartbeat that doesn't match either of his parents.

Weeks pass and the kitten's eyes are now open and he's trying to see it all, everything at once. He immediately finds his brother, which is easy due to the spot of white on his brother's paw and pounces on him, wrestling with him as they both explore this world that surrounds them.

More time passes and by now the kittens are following their father as he teaches them to hunt. They scrunch down on all fours and wiggle their little bodies and their tails in imitation of their father. They've both inherited his green eyes and his keen mind. When he pounces both kittens jump too. The kitten watches his brother as he pounces, noting where he places his paws, how effective it is compared to how their father pounces.

A few more days pass, days of exploration and the kittens are almost ready to be on their own. Samson takes them to the one human he will trust with their lives. He knows that he has only a couple days left to live and wants his kittens, his remaining kittens to have that chance at life that he has had.

As he leads them to the one place he's always called "home" he tells them about the human known as Gibbs. How the man is sometimes cranky and sometimes sad, sometimes laughing and sometimes glad. Fleck, the kitten with the white paw looks at his father and tells him that "if he grrs, I don't want him."

The other kitten watches his father's reaction. A swift paw reaches out and cuffs Fleck over the right ear. Fleck lets out a small mew of protest at the treatment even as he apologizes. His brother says nothing as they continue their path to Gibbs house.

When they are a few blocks from the house, Samson's feet seem to move faster; both kittens are almost at a flat out run to keep up with him. They keep their eyes on their father's tail never letting it out of their sight. After what seems like miles to the small paws of the kittens, Samson finally slows down.

He waits for his sons to catch up to him before he explains what he'll be doing next. When he's done explaining, he grabs Fleck by the scruff of the neck and leaps onto the wooden fence that surrounds the backyard; he then carries him into the yard, depositing him under a bush. Samson turns to repeat his actions with his other son and finds the kitten has somehow managed to wriggle under the fence and is waiting beside him. Samson lightly cuffs his son, warning him next time to wait for Samson as there are mean dogs that live in the alley.

Fleck notes the exchange and then asks his father why his brother has such a long name. "What is an Obsidian anyway?"

"Your brother will need that name if he wants to be with Gibbs. You, Fleck are going to like living with Jackson Gibbs more than you would with Leroy Jethro Gibbs. My Gibbs is a growly man, with a lot of reason to growl. Old man Gibbs doesn't growl, or at least he doesn't when he visits my Gibbs."

Obsidian cocks his little black head to the side, his green eyes contemplative as he thinks about his father's words. He realizes that Samson didn't really answer the question that Fleck had asked him, so he asks the question this time.

"Father, what is an obsidian? Is it something to eat?"

"No, my son, obsidian is a type of rock. I remembered the word from the little time I got to spend with the human's kitten, Kelly. She was doing something, reading from a book and"

"What's a book? Is it something to play with?" Obsidian asks the questions not really wanting an answer so much as he wants a place to lie down. He starts turning in a circle accidently bumping into his father as he does so.

"Is it something we can fight or eat?" Fleck is the one thinking with his stomach this time.

Samson sighs as he contemplates explaining humans and their weird ways of learning. A soft head butts against his side and he sees Obsidian turning in a circle as he flattens a layer of leaves for his bed. Fleck watches his brother for all of two seconds before pouncing on the pile of leaves that are next to him and falling asleep almost before his paws touch the ground.

Samson watches his sons with loving eyes before he hauls his tired body into the tree that's sheltering his sons. He stretches out on a tree limb and falls asleep, content for now that he and his sons are safe.


	2. Chapter 2

Obsidian—chapter two

Samson watches over his sons as they sleep content for now that they are safe from harm. The big cat closes his eyes and when next he opens them, the kittens are playing under a nearby bush, close to the fence line. He stretches as he stands up then lets out a startled yowl as the branch he's on breaks off.

Both kittens watch in horror as their father plummets to the ground. Fleck starts towards him but Obsidian grabs hold of his tail, pulling him deeper under the bush. Fleck turns to swat at his brother when they hear the sound of human voices. Both kittens peek out from under the bush not moving a muscle as they watch the humans approach their father.

Fleck starts hissing and growling about the mean humans and how he's not going to live with anyone that hurts his papa. Obsidian continues watching as he puts a paw on his brother's head, cautioning him into silence. The woman puts her paw on his papa, and a curious glow surrounds him. Both kittens are hard pressed to stay put when they see the purple aura that is now around their father.

Nothing is more curious than a cat, unless it's his kittens. Fleck wriggles out from under his brother's restraining paw; he wants to see what is going on. Obsidian pounces on him, rolling him deeper under the bush. Concerned as he is about his father, he realizes that someone needs to keep an eye on Fleck.

The humans pick up Samson and carry him inside. Fleck rounds on his brother, attacking him viciously. Obsidian lets him pounce knowing that his brother is just worried about their father; when it gets to the point that Obsidian actually starts feeling the pain, he leaps up and races for the far corner of Gibbs yard.

By this time, Samson is lying on the kitchen table as Laurie and Gibbs examine him. He hasn't forgotten his kittens and he is feeling better than he has for quite sometime. He knows that the woman who is now in Gibbs life has lengthened his own life, if only for a few more days. He rubs his head against hers, feeling the tiredness that encompasses them both. When he licks her palm he looks up into her eyes, wondering at the taste of her skin. Exhaustion washes over him and he closes his eyes, knowing that for now at least he's safe.

When next he wakens, the humans are curling up in Gibbs bed, murmuring things he doesn't understand. He knows that Gibbs is on the path back to happiness and goes back to sleep tucking his head under his paws.

Morning arrives and with it, the usual urges, mainly warmth and comfort. He tests the leg he'd wounded the night before and is pleasantly surprised to find very little pain or discomfort. His head tilts towards the bed. He can sense some movement up there but not much. He carefully crawls onto the bed and finds the female running her hand over his human's chest.

The soft hand that had set the cat's broken leg just the previous night is extended in greeting. Samson sniffs at it before butting his head against it, demanding a quick petting. The female smiles at him, as she agrees to the animal's unspoken demand.

"You let that animal on my bed." The soft grumble is half-hearted as Gibbs realizes that he'd actually missed having Samson around these past few years. Laurie lets out a delicate snort at the thought of _allowing_ Samson to do anything. Minutes later and the cat is curled up on Gibbs chest while Laurie prepares breakfast.

Samson thinks about the days when he was a kitten, and slept on Gibbs chest. He purrs as Gibbs strokes his fur and knows that bringing his own kittens here was a good choice on his part. He hadn't planned on the female however and wonders if she'll be upset without a kitten of her own.

When breakfast is brought up, Samson is a little put out at being set on the floor again. The female surprises him with a bit of his own breakfast cut up in pieces that are easy for him to chew with his old teeth. When they all finish, Gibbs comes over and gently picks Samson up to carry him downstairs.

The humans watch when Samson goes outside. He relieves himself under a dogwood bush and then lies down under the rose bushes nearest the fence line. Within minutes, his sons have joined him and he tells them that he will be going away for a few days, with the humans. Fleck starts complaining about not having enough to eat or drink but Obsidian is watching the house.

The pet door is opening. The inner flap is once again assessable by small animals. Obsidian waits until Fleck is done complaining before pointing towards the pet door with his tail. Samson nods his head at Obsidian's unasked question. "While I am gone, use the pet door and you will find water and shelter there."

Fleck gets a mischievous look in his eyes, a look that goes unnoticed by his father and brother. He can think of many things a kitten can get into when unsupervised. He runs his pink tongue across his lips in anticipation of the chaos he's going to create.

A/N: Yep I'm leaving it there for now. Reviews are welcome. ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

Obsidian—Chapter 3

Fleck starts plotting and Obsidian starts wondering what his brother is planning. He's worried about his father and what the humans might do to him. Admittedly the humans seemed to be nice, but even in his little lifetime; Obsidian has learned that not all humans are good humans. After all, bad humans are the reason that Samson brought them here.

Obsidian shakes his small head, and stares at the house. Samson comes out and lies down under the bush, telling his sons that the humans will be away for a while. Fleck comes over and starts chasing a leaf. Obsidian curls up by his father, worry showing in his little green eyes.

"I will survive the journey. You have my word as a son of LEO that I will return. In the meantime, you can explore this yard. Learn the neighborhood and stay away from the alley.

"Why?"

"The dogs in this neighborhood are notoriously mean. They could kill you in a snap."

Obsidian thinks about his father's words as he lies down. He puts his paws against Samson's chest, kneading the soft fur there as he goes to sleep. Samson looks around and sees Fleck still chasing leaves. Samson gives a slight howl and Fleck returns. He starts to pounce on his brother, but stops when Samson glares at him.

"So, when are we gonna see Gibbsey. I don't wanna stay here with Gibbsgrr, he growls too much. Are you sure that this place is safe?"

"I am certain that we are safe here.

"So what's the name of Gibbsgrr's mate? She looks nice, can we bite her or is she off limits?"

Samson smiles at his son's questions. He knows that Obsidian is awake and listening to not just Fleck's questions but his own answers.

"You can try biting her, but don't be surprised if she bites back."

Fleck sits up on his hind legs, staring at his father in surprise. "She's a human, they don't bite us!"

Samson says nothing and Fleck curls up beside him, calming down enough to finally go to sleep. Once Fleck is sleeping Obsidian raises his head and asks his father if the female human really would bite them.

"She's an unknown factor. I have not seen too much of her in Gibbs life, so I cannot form an opinion. I trust her; she helped to fix my leg. I can tell you more when we get back."

"Where are you going?"

"We go to get Gibbs papa. Once we get back, I can introduce you to them and you can make up your own minds about who you will stay with."

Obsidian nods and lays back down. He's temporarily content with what's going on. He'll watch and learn over the next few days and then decide if Gibbs house is worth staying at. He knows that his father won't live much longer, it's the main reason that Samson brought him and Fleck to Gibbs. Still he wants to try and trust the one human that Samson trusts.

The day passes and soon Samson leaves on his trip to Stillwater. The kittens stay hidden for the better part of the afternoon, sleeping under the rose bush. Just as dusk falls, a light rain starts to fall, the pitter-patter of the rain wakens the kittens and they dash towards the house and dry land.

Inside, both kittens shake their bodies, their fur temporarily standing on end as the water leaves it. Fleck immediately heads for the stairs, intent on creating mischief wherever he can. Obsidian leaves him to it, and instead concentrates on exploring the kitchen. He finds the cat dishes that were left from breakfast; the water bowl is filled with clean water and the other has some dry cat food in it. He chews on a piece of the cat food and decides that if the food is that good then he'll be interested in staying. He slurps some water before heading upstairs to find Fleck.

Fleck is angry because all the doors upstairs are closed. None of them were left open so that a snoopy kitten could explore and create havoc. Fleck sits down at the top of the stairs and starts howling his impatience. Obsidian joins him at the top stair and talks him into exploring the lower level.

The dining room doesn't have much to interest Fleck as the table is wood. He makes a half hearted attempt to scratch the table leg and gives up without even trying. He then follows Obsidian to the living room.

Two pairs of green eyes light up in anticipation. Obsidian has found the chairs while Fleck has found the delight of all delights…sheer curtains. Within seconds Fleck is climbing the curtains and screeching his delight when his claws pierce the fabric to the point of tearing. Obsidian had been trying the chairs for comfort. When he sees Fleck destroying the curtains, Obsidian has had enough.

He races to where Fleck is and when the other kitten is on the floor, Obsidian pounces. He jumps on Fleck and bowls him over, sending the other kitten towards the fireplace. Fleck growls and retaliates, claws and teeth extended. Five minutes later, both kittens are exhausted by their battle, but Obsidian has managed to over power his brother and prevent him from destroying more curtains.

"I'll do it again ya know."

"And I'll be here to stop you. Just quit now Fleck. This is gonna be my home and I'm not gonna let you destroy it. When papa gets back with Gibbsey then you can go destroy whatever you want. This is my home, mine and Gibbsgrr's."

###

A/N: For those who are a bit confused, Gibbsey is Jackson Gibbs and Gibbsgrr is of course Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Next chapter, the family returns, Samson departs, and the kittens find their homes.


	4. Chapter 4

Obsidian—Chapter 4

It's in the early morning hours two days after Samson and Gibbs are gone that it happens. Obsidian wakes up slowly, not sure what exactly woke him up. He raises his head and sees Fleck sleeping next to him, his head tucked under his paws. Glancing around the room he watches the shadows, waiting for any sudden movement. A full minute passes by and the kitten is almost ready to go back to sleep when he sees it: a long narrow naked tail.

The fur on Obsidian's neck starts to fluff as he silently hisses in his brother's ear. Fleck raises one eyelid and comes to full alert when he sees his brother's agitated state. He follows Obsidian's gaze to the shadows just beside the fireplace. Fleck can feel his own fur start to stand on end and he knows that the two of them are going to battle the intruder, no matter what the cost.

Obsidian looks at his brother and almost purrs with contentment. Fleck is beside him, ready to defend his new home. For a second the kitten wishes that Gibbsgrr was there so that the human could see for himself that Obsidian will do what it takes to protect his home while Gibbsgrr is away.

Both kittens wait until the rat is almost beside the chair they're residing in before pouncing. Several fast paced minutes pass as the kittens fight the rat. Finally Obsidian manages to get a choke-hold on the vermin and sinks his teeth into it. Fleck attacks from the side and at long last the rat is still.

"Yuck, he tastes bad!" Fleck immediately starts cleaning himself, trying to rid himself of the taste of rat. Obsidian tries to follow suit, and howls with pain when he touches his front left paw.

"Sidi? What's wrong? You…you're bleeding! What are we gonna do? When's papa coming back?"

Obsidian gently licks his sore paw; the rat had managed one good bite just before Fleck ended his life. Fleck sits down beside Obsidian and starts washing his fur. Obsidian pants with the exertion it took to lick his paw clean. He blinks as he starts seeing multiple black dots in his vision.

"Fleck, I don't feel too good." He collapses on his side. Fleck finishes washing his brother down before dragging the rat's corpse to the kitchen door. He knows he doesn't have the physical strength to move the rat any further so he leaves it by the door and races back to his brother's side.

Fleck lies down beside his brother not sure what to do now. A few hours pass and Fleck heads outside to take care of his bladder. While he's gone, Laurie returns with the luggage. A quick glance around the room tells her what transpired. She looks around and sees Obsidian lying next to Gibbs favorite recliner. She gently touches the kitten, to see what damage she needs to mend.

A soft mew greets her when she touches him, letting her know that he's alive. She instinctively knows that this little black bundle of fur belongs to Samson. The pain-filled green eyes are distinctive. She runs a hand over the rest of him, making sure that nothing else is hurt. She stares into Obsidian's eyes, making sure that the kitten knows she means him no harm. By keeping the eye contact, she's able to completely heal his wound without his being aware of it.

She puts a finger under Obsidian's chin, lightly scratching the kitten until he purrs. A little paw reaches out and grabs her finger. Obsidian licks her finger, and then nibbles on it.

"Hey, I can make you something that tastes better than my finger." She scoops the kitten up and carries him into the kitchen where she immediately sees the rat's corpse. Obsidian starts hissing at the dead rat, and Laurie smiles.

"It's okay little one, he's dead. You protected your house admirably." She sits him down on the floor while she washes her hands and then proceeds to fry an egg with slices of cheese. She then sets the cooling dish in front of Obsidian. The kitten eats slowly almost as if waiting for someone to come and try taking the food away from him. While he's eating, Laurie picks up the rat and carries it out to the dumpster. She then proceeds to clean the floor until no sign of the rat remains.

Obsidian finishes eating and heads outside. Laurie watches as he heads for the furthest rose bush, the one closest to the tree that Samson had fallen out of not too long ago. After one more quick look around to make sure that the house is in order, she teleports back to Stillwater to pick up Gibbs and Jackson.

Out in the yard, Fleck waits until Obsidian reaches the rose bush before exploding. "What happened? Where have you been? What did she do to you? Your leg is healed!"

Obsidian finds a clean spot to lie down before replying. "She saw what happened and cleaned the house up after healing my leg. I likes her."

Fleck snorts as he cleans his fur. "She fed you, and you like her. I don't see anything special about her; not to mention she likes Gibbsgrr." Fleck pounces on a stray leaf for emphasis.

Obsidian says nothing. He likes the human female, regardless of what Fleck says. His paw isn't hurting anymore and he has a full tummy. He doesn't want to antagonize his brother any further than he already has. Besides, Samson said that Gibbsgrr is good and that should be enough, shouldn't it?

_A/N: I realize that two kittens taking on a full grown rat may be farfetched, but hey it could still happen. _


	5. Chapter 5

_For those who have read Samson, yes I did change a few things between these two stories to make this one flow easier. And yes, I did take part of the last chapter of Samson to fill this one._

Obsidian—Chapter 5

When the three humans and Samson arrive back at Gibbs place, the younger man can tell immediately that something happened while they were gone. Its a few subtle things that are out of place, not immediately noticeable unless you've been trained by Mike Franks. He says nothing as he follows Laurie outside to the rose bush where two black kittens are sleeping.

"They look like Samson did when he was a kitten."

At the mention of his name, the cat in his arms wakes up and carefully stretches, making sure not to harm Gibbs with his claws. Samson blinks a few times, and then realizes where he is. He lightly leaps down and edges under the bush where the kittens are sleeping. Not to their surprise, he calmly lies down by the kittens washing their fur.

Laurie starts to stand up and Gibbs is there to steady her. They watch Samson as he cares for his kittens. Jack comes to stand beside them and they watch as the kittens waken from their slumber and start piling over Samson, obviously glad to see him. One of the kittens has the barest hint of white on one paw and is clearly the leader of the two.

The other kitten while playful is also more cautious. Clearly this one is looking before leaping. Gibbs can't help comparing the two kittens to Tony and Tim. The one with the white paw reminds him of Tony and how he takes command of most situations, often leaping in without thought to the consequences. The other one, the pure black one, is more methodical, like Tim, as it watches, learns and plays, almost seeming to analyze its surroundings.

Samson stands up and walks over to where the three humans are, the kittens following close behind. Once they are within a few feet of the humans Samson reaches out and picks up the white-footed one by the scruff of his neck. Samson gently drops him at Jack's feet. He then proceeds to do the same with the pure black one; this time he paws at Gibbs shoe. Gibbs kneels down and Samson drops the kitten in his hand.

"Samson, what are you doing?" Gibbs has a sad idea forming and isn't sure that he wants confirmation. The cat nudges Gibbs with his head, encouraging him to start petting the kitten. Laurie kneels down too, keeping a hand on Gibbs shoulder as she gives him quiet support. Samson stares hard at Gibbs, then at Laurie. Clearly he's asking the humans to watch over his kittens.

_(A/N: this is where the story will change just a bit)_

Gibbs looks at the cat, then at the kitten in his hand. He hands the kitten to Laurie and picks up Samson, cuddling the big cat close as he walks away from the others. "You can go to our girls, but I need a favor from you first. I need you to stay alive long enough to participate in my wedding. I'll have either Jack or DiNozzo hold you, but I need you there. Can you do that for me Samson?"

The cat stares at him, uncertain just what Gibbs is demanding of him. Those icy blue eyes are full of tears, as he acknowledges that Samson is almost ready to leave him. Samson reaches up with his two front paws, keeping his claws sheathed and puts them around Gibbs neck, as he nuzzles his human's face.

A small howl of pain brings both heads back to the kittens. Samson gives a sigh as he sees Obsidian crying and Fleck sitting there looking all confused and innocent. It's obvious to the cat that his sons had been playing a little too rambunctiously and Obsidian had gotten his tail bitten.

Gibbs strides back over to where the kittens are and still holding Samson with one hand reaches down for Obsidian.

"Hey little buddy what happened? Fleck bite your tail too hard?" A soft mew of confirmation brings a smile to his lips and he turns his head to Samson. The big cat can tell that this was a ploy to get Gibbs to pick up the kitten, to start accepting him and he purrs his approval to the kitten while grumbling his disapproval to Fleck.

Laurie and Jack watch Gibbs as he interacts with all three cats. He's gotten down on the ground and both kittens are crawling on him, exploring the man while Samson sits by his side. Jack takes Laurie off to the side, so they can continue to observe yet not interfere. She tells him about the silly plans the two had made, about Samson being Gibbs best man and Jack giving her away.

"There's no reason we still can't do that Laurie. I can give you to my son and be his best man. If he wants me to that is."

"He does, he was kinda upset when I first told him about Samson being his best man as he thought that meant that you didn't want to be."

"My son never was very rational when it came to personal things. Come on let's go tell him the good news."

"What good news Dad?" Gibbs is standing there with a kitten in each hand and Samson draped around his neck. He hands Fleck, the white-footed one, to his dad while looking at him. Jackson takes the kitten and starts petting it, enjoying the feel of the soft fur and the purring that ensues from his petting.

"He said that he could be your best man and walk me down the aisle."

"Or I could ask McGee and DiNozzo to be my groomsmen, while Dad concentrates on bringing you to me."

They both look at him and he's smiling. He still has a few tears lingering in those blue eyes, but he's smiling as he nods at the kittens.

"We have new family members that need taken care of. I think that DiNozzo would be highly put out if I didn't make him my groomsman; McGee to a lesser degree, but yeah, Tony would pout for weeks, and I don't need that particular DiNozzo pouting at me."

Laurie looks at the black kitten. It's curled up in the crook of Gibbs arm, reminding her strongly of Samson. She smiles at the little pink tongue that curls out of the kitten's mouth when it yawns. Tiny claws start kneading Gibbs arm as the kitten readies itself for a deeper sleep. Laurie asks, "So what are you gonna name this furball?"

"That sounds like a good name." he smirks at the incredulous look his father gives him. A soft smack at the back of his head brings the smile out fully. He grabs the hand that smacked him and kisses the palm.

"Furball it is. Whatcha think about that name, Furball?"

The kitten mews a soft protest bringing laughter to all three of them. They rack their brains for all names that might fit a black furred kitten. When Gibbs mentions the word obsidian, the kitten raises his head and meows.

"Obsidian, huh? Okay, that works for me."

They walk inside, each man carrying a kitten as they discuss the week to come. Samson looks over at Laurie and she reaches out her hands to him. The cat looks up into her eyes and she knows immediately what he's asking her. She nods her head; she can keep him alive long enough for him to help with the wedding ceremony.

The men look at her and she tells them that the cat just wanted to make sure his kittens were all right. Neither of them believe her, but they aren't going to comment on it. For now they have a wedding to plan and two groomsmen to tell about their roles. Gibbs pulls out his cell phone.

"DiNozzo, pick up McGee and meet at my house ASAP."

"Is it okay to bring Sarah and Donny boss or is it a case?"

"Nope, bring'em and see if Holly can come too." Gibbs hangs up knowing that Tony will be full of questions when he gets there. He then turns to Laurie who already knows what he's going to say.

"I'll have a meal ready by the time they all get here Jet. Why don't you and Jack go sit on the porch while I get stuff going in here?"

Gibbs instead heads for the den so that he can get the luggage stored away before the rest of the family arrives. Jack offers to help him but Gibbs gives him a look and the older man sits down. Fleck curls up in his lap and Jack can't help but look at the kitten. From what he's seen so far, this young scamp will definitely keep him on his toes when he finally gets back to Stillwater. In Jack's eyes, this kitten is more like his Leroy than DiNozzo, but he's not about to tell his son that.

When Gibbs comes back down, he finds all three cats curled up on his dad and all four of them are asleep in the recliner. Samson raises his head from his position by Jack's feet; for now he'll watch over the older Gibbs as the younger one is busy. Gibbs pets the cat and tells him, "Thank you for watching over Jack."

Laurie watches from the doorway, knowing that it's going to almost kill Gibbs when Samson does pass away. She steps into the room, places a hand on Jack to verify his health knowing that Jethro is concerned by his need for so much sleep. Gibbs watches silently; sees the almost invisible lavender healing cross over not just his dad but all three cats as well.

He busies himself with the last of the luggage not turning around when Laurie comes into the room and wraps her arms around him from behind. She rests her head on his back as she tells him that his dad will be fine; he's just a little run down from the last cold he'd had.

"What about the cats? I saw the healing encompass them too."

"I'm ensuring that Samson can be there for our wedding and the kittens fought a rat this morning. I'm making sure that there isn't any poison in either of their systems."

"What's wrong with me? Why am I so damn emotional? I'm not supposed to be."

She steps in front of him, looks him in the eye. Knowing that he's going to be difficult to get through on this subject at least she sits him down on the bed and taking his hands hin hers, kneels in front of him.

"When you lost Shannon and Kelly all those years ago, you still had a constant connection to them. He stayed out of your way all these years, but he was still there. In a way, you probably sensed him out there watching over you. Jet, Samson is over 20 years old. In cat years, that's almost ancient. You know in your heart of hearts, in that one part of you that is so afraid of losing this last link to your wife and daughter, that he's going to leave soon."

"He brought me his kittens. He knows he's going to die soon and he brought me his sons."

"Yes, the one human he trusts more than anyone else. That's a great honor you know. Cats are finicky yet when they find that one person they trust above all others, they're devoted to you for life."

She reaches up and wipes away the silent tears. "Hey, DiNozzo's gonna be here soon, you gonna let him eat all our food?"

"What are you making anyway?"

"Pizza." She smiles at his questioning look. "I'm a cook, Jet…trust me."

A soft mew of agreement comes from the doorway. Obsidian is there, asking for entrance. Laurie nods and the kitten walks in slowly, clearly reading the emotions that are in the air and unsure of what he can do to ease Gibbsgrr's pain.

Laurie picks him up and gently puts him in Gibbs lap. "He's ready to love you Jet; if you'll give him that opportunity."

Obsidian gives a meow of agreement and the two humans laugh. Gibbs heaves a sigh, wipes his eyes one more time and looks at the other two. He rubs Obsidian gently on the head before picking him up and looking at him nose to nose. "Just one rule: that is your bed, this is mine." He stands up and takes the kitten to the bed that's lying between the twin chests of drawers. He gently sets the kitten down before turning his attention to the woman still kneeling by **his** bed. He extends a hand to help her up.

"As for you…" his soft growl is interrupted by her lips on his.

"Go take a quick shower or at least run a cool cloth over your eyes before the kids get here and start pummeling me for hurting their dad."

His lips quirk up at the reference of Tony and Tim being his kids. He has to admit that Tim, Tony and Sarah would probably start hounding her if anything happened to him, especially Tony. A swat on his ass makes him growl mockingly at her and she just stares him down.

"Today Jet, they'll all be here in half an hour."

She turns to leave him alone and he pulls her back to him. His lips are on hers before she can formulate a response. Obsidian puts his paws over his eyes, convinced that he's way too young to watch what the humans might be doing. Two minutes later Gibbs comes up for breath. Laurie's breathing is just as ragged as his, and Gibbs smirks in satisfaction. A soft smack to the back of his head tells him she knows just why he's smirking and he heads into the shower.

_A/N: Reviews are welcome. _


	6. Chapter 6

Obsidian—Chapter 6

_She turns to leave him alone and he pulls her back to him. His lips are on hers before she can formulate a response. Obsidian puts his paws over his eyes, convinced that he's way too young to watch what the humans might be doing. Two minutes later Gibbs comes up for breath. Laurie's breathing is just as ragged as his, and Gibbs smirks in satisfaction. A soft smack to the back of his head tells him she knows just why he's smirking and he heads into the shower._

Laurie walks downstairs and heads towards the kitchen, stopping briefly to check on Jack and the other two cats. Samson raises his head but Fleck sleeps on oblivious to the human watching him. Laurie presses a kiss to the top of Jack's head and continues into the kitchen.

She pulls a jar of pizza sauce out of the cupboard and sets it on the table. Then she reaches into the refrigerator and pulls out two cans of biscuits, some shredded cheese and some packaged pepperoni.

A knock on the door heralds the arrival of Tim and Holly. Tim hands Laurie a small grocery bag then looks at what she's doing.

"You're making miniature pizzas. I – we used to do that at Grandma's house every now and then. It was a special treat as no one else would make a special pizza for Sarah."

"Is that why we needed this other stuff?" Holly holds up more cans of biscuits and some sausage, as well as some lettuce and tomatoes.

"Jet has everything else. I just need to fry up the sausage and we can start making pizzas. I thought it would be a good thing for Donny to try doing."

Tim is confused. Why would Laurie want a four year old under foot in the kitchen?

"This is one way that I learned to appreciate food; I helped make it."

"Make what? Hey Probie, you look troubled. Hi Holly, Laurie…whoa mini-pizzas…and you're letting us make them…totally cool there."

Tony, Sarah and Donny are standing in the doorway. Donny cautiously steps into the room.

"What are mini-pizzas?"

Laurie leans down and picks him up, nodding to Holly to take over cooking the sausage. She brings Donny closer to the table and sits him down in front of a cookie sheet that has several biscuits lying on it.

"Hey, Mommy puts these in a round pan."

"Yep and today, we get to make our own pizza." She's put some sauce into a small bowl and helps Donny create his own pizza. The little boy crows with excitement as he finishes putting the last of the cheese on his pizzas then watches the others prepare their own meals.

Gibbs watches from the doorway as his family works together to fix lunch. He remembers fondly the times when he and Shannon and Kelly had created impromptu meals at home. He wipes away a few more tears before clearing his throat.

"Who gave you all permission to mess up my kitchen?"

Donny turns around and races over to his favorite person of all time. "Granpa I gots to make my own pizza! I can help you make yours too?"

"Well, I thought that you'd help me, instead." Jack is there holding Fleck and Donny's eyes widen with awe.

"It's a kitty. What's its name Granpa Jack?"

"This is Fleck. You see that small fleck of white on his paw? That's how your Granpa Jefro named him."

"Wow…are you gonna keep him Granpa Jack?"

"I'm thinking about it. Would you like to pet him?"

"I'm not too little?"

Jack leads him back to the den where Samson is still resting in the recliner. "He's a big cat Granpa. What's his name?"

"This distinguished gentleman is Samson. He's the daddy of this kitten and the one that's up in Granpa Jefro's room."

While Jack keeps Donny occupied the others finish creating their meals. Sarah laughs when she sees the peanut butter, pickles and Tabasco sauce on the table. Tony stares at the items, and then turns to his wife who smiles at him. Since they've been married the only time she's had pizza with those items has been during her pregnancy with Donny.

"Cravings already?"

"No actually I asked Holly to pick them up so that Jet would have them in his cupboard." Laurie smiles at them as she reaches into the oven to pull out the first batch of pizzas. Holly is tearing up a head of lettuce and slicing tomatoes for a salad. Tim has pulled out the dressings and Gibbs is contentedly watching while sitting on his counter.

Laurie takes a spatula and gently eases the mini pizzas onto a platter. Tony reaches into the fridge and pulls out several bottles of water and tea. He turns to Gibbs and offers him a beer; Gibbs shakes his head. He wants to keep a clear head for the rest of the afternoon. After all he still has to decide just which man will be his best man.

"You could always have Ziva be the best man." Laurie whispers in his ear as she walks past him with a fresh tray of pizzas. He laughs at that thought and swats her on the head.

"Careful Jet we have children present." Her eyes are laughing as she says it and he knows that she's not referring to Donny.

After the meal is done and the dishes washed up again, Gibbs herds everyone into the den. The kittens are playing in the corner with Donny and Samson waits for Gibbs to sit down before leaping onto his lap. The big cat gently kneads Gibbs in the abdomen as he lays down for his nap.

Tim, Tony and Sarah all stare in amazement at the relaxed look that crosses Gibbs face as he pets the big black cat. None of them have seen the former lead agent, now assistant director this content.

Tony stands up "Who the hell are you and what have you done with Leroy Jethro Gibbs?"

Laurie comes into the room and slaps Tony upside the head. "He's right in front of you Tony. He just has a few questions he needs to ask and it's better if he figures out what he says before he says it."

"You two are getting married soon aren't you?" Sarah's been watching the easy interplay the older couple has with each other. It's as if they'd known each other for years and not a few months.

"Really, Boss that's great. So who gets to be best man?" Tim's enthusiasm brings a smile to Gibbs face as he waits for Tony's reaction.

"So who gets to be best man? Why Probie, we all know that it's going to be-"

"Samson." Gibbs watches with silent amusement as both younger men's jaws drop.

"You…you're kidding right boss? This is just an April fool's day joke a few months late."

"No, Tony the cat is my best man and you two are invited to be my groomsmen."

A/N: Hee hee hee ^_^


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